Emerald City Comic Con brings back mask policy for summer 2022

Emerald City Comic Con has announced it will now require masks for all attendees at its event this month. Masks will be required in all areas of the convention.

Emerald City Comic Con is Aug. 18-21 at the Seattle Convention Center. There is no requirement for proof of vaccination. Cosplayers will be asked to enter without helmets or costume masks to confirm they are wearing an approved face covering.

Covid cases in King County have trended downward since late May, however, the numbers remain high. As of Aug. 5:

• King County is averaging 665 new cases each day.
• Communitywide, the county has 203.6 cases per 100,000 residents. Health officials generally want to see this metric below 200 per 100,000.
• Hospitalizations remain low with 7.8% of hospital beds occupied by Covid patients. On average, three people are dying from Covid each day.

ECCC is among the largest events in the region, drawing in nearly 100,000 people before the pandemic. It is gearing up for another large event this year with celebrity guests ranging from Star Trek to Doctor Who. Seattle drag queens Bendelacreme and Jinkx Monsoon will also be featured guests.

ECCC says that fans can briefly removed masks for photo ops. Unless a celebrity requests a Plexiglas barrier, there will be no separation between photo participants. The convention says that it has increased cleaning and air filtration in photo areas. Attendees will be required to wear masks while in line.

The convention usually takes place in early spring (March/April). But the pandemic has thrown that annual schedule off. Since 2020, it has been cancelled, and rescheduled for December and now August.

The other big convention in the Northwest, Rose City Comic Con in Portland, is slated for early September. In July, RCCC announced that it will require CDC-approved masks for all attendees 3 years and older.